In many systems which are constructed from multiple parts, manufacturers have been faced with the task of individually labeling each part both for inventory control and for assembly purposes as well as other purposes.
The application of individual labels or tags to an article that is to be assembled into a larger system, such as an electrical or fluid distribution system, has been both a time consuming and expensive operation. Attempts have been made in the prior art to mechanize the labeling operation and, with the introduction of computer controls, improvements have become available which have facilitated the accurate labeling of parts of a complex system. However, in connection with some industrial parts, particularly in water and gas distribution systems such as those employed in sprinkler systems, the development of cost effective and accurate labeling of the individual elements which are generally of cylindrical shape, has not been widely effective because of the lack of accurate control of the labeling process as well as due to the relatively slow throughput speed of the labeling mechanisms.
In addition, the control of the labeling mechanism has required frequent and lengthy downtimes to allow adjustment of the dispensing of labels to an application site or has required that the articles being labeled all be of uniform size and shape. In many applications, any deviation from a fairly rigid standard size could not be tolerated efficiently by the available mechanisms.